


Be My Valentine

by Rebekah_Zellers



Series: Tadpole Series [24]
Category: NCIS
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-19
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-07-14 11:04:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16039193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rebekah_Zellers/pseuds/Rebekah_Zellers
Summary: Tad's last Valentine's Day with Rachel.TISSUE WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!! MAJOR TISSUE WARNING!!





	Be My Valentine

TISSUE WARNING REMINDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Twenty-seven years have passed since that first Valentine's Day that Thaddeus shared with Rachel. Twenty-seven years of memories filled their hearts and their lives. Nemo, Jackson, Ducky, and Celeste had passed on along the way. Each time his heart had broken, Rachel had magically appeared to help him work it out. His dad and grandpa had been there for all the important things, but it was Rachel that he often turned to when he required a mother's love.

 

This Valentine's Day would bring an experience different than any other he had experienced along the way. For twenty-seven years, he had taken Rachel to breakfast, given her a gift and shared the day with her; taking away a feeling of love and friendship that carried him through to the next year. Year after year, he bestowed the love on his friend even long after he had entered a relationship with the woman that had become his wife.

 

Emily and Thaddeus Jr. were in the kitchen wrapping the present that T.J. had bought his Grandma Rachel for Valentine's Day. Tad smiled at his son; he couldn't help but think of it as a family tradition when it came to bestowing love on Rachel.

 

"I'm going to go pick her up," Tad smiled. "She loves coming here."

 

"We love having her," Emily smiled. "She such a sweet woman."

 

Before Tad could get out the door his cell phone rang, looking down at the display; he noted it that it was his grandfather's number.

 

"Grandpa?" Tad said softly into the phone.

 

"Tad," Gibbs voice cracked. "It's Rachel; she had a stroke, son. I think you better come to the hospital; it's not good."

 

"I'm on my way." Tad mumbled into the phone. "Rachel's had a stroke; she's not going to make it."

 

"We'll meet you at the hospital," Emily hurried to get herself and three-year-old TJ ready while Tad grabbed a few things and left for the hospital. His heart pounded in his chest for the entire drive, he knew this day would happen eventually, but why did it have to be on their special day.

 

"Family of Rachel Cranston," the doctor called as he entered the waiting room. "Is there a Thaddeus DiNozzo present?"

 

"I'm right here," Tad called as he ran through the doors of the emergency room. "How is she?"

 

"We should go somewhere private to talk," the doctor started to walk away.

 

"No," Tad shook his head. "She made me her power of attorney last year because she knew I would have her best interest at heart; this is her family. You talk to me in front of them."

 

"Okay," the doctor took a deep breath. "We have found several blood clots and an aneurysm; her condition is too grave to operate. We would normally use blood thinners to treat the clots, but we cannot risk it with the aneurysm."

 

"She's a time bomb waiting to go off," Tad commented.

 

"I'm afraid that she is," the doctor agreed. "I am so sorry."

 

"Is she in pain?" Tad questioned.

 

"She may be a bit uncomfortable," Dr. Resin answered.

 

"Quality of quantity," Tad mumbled. "Pain killers are going to thin the blood right?"

 

"Yes," The answer was definite and but gentle.

 

"Is she able to survive this?" Tony questioned as he pulled Shelby to his side.

"It is highly unlikely." Dr. Resin took a deep breath.

 

"You know she wouldn't want to suffer," Gabriel reminded his brother. "She deserves much better than that."

 

"We want to see her," Tad said softly. "Let my family in to tell her they love her; I want her medicated for pain. I'm staying with her."

 

"Very well," Dr. Resin said softly. "You are a good man."

 

Rachel smiled at the DiNozzo family as they entered the room. "Don't be sad," She whispered, her voice weak. "You made my life good; very good."

 

Gabriel and Shelby laid down gently on either side of their friend and just enveloped her in love; they spent a solid hour with her like that before kissing her goodbye so their brother could have his time with her. TJ and Emily gave her all the love they had within them and made promises to take care of Thaddeus for her.

 

"I love you," Tony said softly. "You are my family; my heart. Thank you Rachel Cranston for being my dear friend, the surrogate mother to my children and for loving us all."

 

"You are welcome," Rachel smiled. "My baby boy is going to need all of you; he's going to hurt."

 

"I know," Tony sighed. "I've got him. He is still daddy's little boy."

 

"I love you," Rachel said softly as he allowed Tony to place a gentle kiss on her lips before he walked away.

 

"You," Gibbs choked up. "Tell Kate I said to look after you; she can show you the ropes up there. I love you, kid."

 

"I love you too." Rachel was growing weaker. "Take care of them, Gibbs."

 

"Alone at last," Tad teased as he placed the very first Valentine he had ever made Rachel in her hand. "I love you. It's funny because I had the biggest crush on you when I was little, then as I grew; that love grew into something amazing. You were a good mother figure for all of us."

 

"You gave me twenty-seven wonderful Valentine's Days and Mother's Days." Rachel winced in pain.

 

"Here," Tad placed Missy gently in Rachel's arm with Manny the Monkey right beside her. "I'm going to get you something for pain; I'll be right back."

 

"I don't mind the pain," Rachel said softly. "I don't want you to leave."

 

"Okay," Tad's eyes filled with tears. "I'll just use your call bell; you don't have to be in pain." Soon enough, Rachel was medicated and resting a great deal more comfortably.

 

"You are a good man," Rachel commented. "TJ is a very lucky little boy."

 

"I was too," Tad said softly before standing up so he could lean over and kiss Rachel softly on the lips. "Do you remember when I was seven and ended up in the hospital with that virus that was going around?"

 

"Yes," Rachel looked at her friend. "I thought we were going to lose you; you were so sick."

 

"Do you remember how you got me to go to sleep?" Tad questioned gently.

 

"I kissed your eyelids," Rachel smiled. "Worked every time I did it."

 

"It did," Tad leaned down to kiss Rachel's eye lids. "I made you a promise twenty-seven years ago. I will never forget you. You will always be my first love; my heart. I love you, Rachel." Kissing her eyelids, Tad settled at Rachel's bedside with the framed picture from all those years ago.

 

"I love you too, Tadpole." Sleep claimed his friend; the words echoed in the room as she drew her final breath and passed into the waiting arms of her sister.

 

"Thank you for being my Valentine," Tad stood and kissed her lips one final time before taking Manny, Missy and the picture and holding it close to his chest. "I will never forget you; never ever."

 

A sob tore from his throat as Tony pulled him from the room. "You make me so proud," Tony whispered as he held his baby boy in his arms. "Each and every day that you are in my life; you teach me what it is to love. You gave her a great life, my baby boy."

 

"We gave her a great life, dad." Tad corrected. "She was my first love; you always told me she would be mine forever."

 

"And she will be.." Tony whispered as he walked his son to the waiting room to be with his family; the legacy of the greatness that Rachel had been in their lives shining through every step they took.


End file.
